11 Incredible Broome Camping Spots | Australian Traveller

What’s more rejuvenating than a few nights under the stars? Fortunately, Broome and the stunning Dampier Peninsula is home to some ridiculously cool camping grounds.

If you’re looking to throw down the tent pegs in town, the Shire of Broome only permits camping at caravan parks. Outside of town, you’ll find a dreamy collection of free and fee-paying campsites. Here are some of the best Broome camping experiences.

1. Broome Bird Observatory

a bird resting on a branch at Broome Bird Observatory — See a variety of bird species at Broome Bird Observatory. (Image: Harclade)

Where: Crab Creek Road
Distance from Broome: 40 minutes
Price: $

If you’re a bird watcher, make sure to spend a night at the Broome Bird Observatory , a research and education facility that raises revenue through camping, accommodation, tours and education courses, along with its shop.

Sleep under starry skies in the quiet, unpowered campground, or take it up a notch and book into a self-contained cottage. Amenities include a camp kitchen with all the accoutrements you’ll need to prepare dinner, flushing toilets, hot showers and plenty of bird baths.

2. Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm

an aerial view of Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm — Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm cultivates the rarest South Sea pearls in the world. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Where: Off Cape Leveque Road
Distance from Broome: Two hours and 30 minutes
Price: $

Nestled at the tip of the Dampier Peninsula, this family-owned pearl farm boasts one of the top spots to camp in the Kimberley.

Guests are invited to brush up on their pearl knowledge with farm tours or grading classes, while adventurers can jump aboard boat rides to explore the Buccaneer Archipelago. Sample pearl meat ceviche at the elegant restaurant before taking a dip in the pool.

Set in a paperbark paddock, the unpowered campsites have campfires, a shared camp kitchen and shared camp toilets. If you seek more comfort, there are luxury safari tents, air-conditioned shacks and the original Master Pearler’s private retreat that sleeps eight.

3. James Price Point/Waldamany

an aerial view of a car passing through James Price Point — Journey through the rugged landscape toward James Price Point. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Where: Off Cape Leveque Road
Distance from Broome: 60 kilometres
Price: Free

With more pristine white sand and red cliffs than you can poke a camera at, camping at James Price Point/Waldamany is a bucket-list Kimberley experience.

Sites at this remote camping spot have a three-day limit and fill up quickly in the dry season. You’ll need to be self-sufficient as there are zero facilities.

For cooling off, there’s a rock pool that’s great for swimming on the outgoing tide. If your timing is spot on you’ll see nesting sea turtles and humpback whales migrating past in the turquoise ocean.

4. Tarangau Caravan Park

the Tarangua Caravan Park at Cable Beach, Broome — Set up a camp at Tarangau Caravan Park.

Where: 16 Millington Road, Cable Beach
Distance from Broome: 10 kilometres
Price: $$

If you like small parks, then Tarangau Caravan Park is the perfect place to spend the weekend or an extended break. This gem near Cable Beach (the beach renowned for its camel rides) has powered and unpowered caravan and camping sites, clean bathrooms, laundry, a barbecue area and a camp kitchen.

You can book a wide variety of day and overnight tours at reception, with tour companies collecting you from the front of the park. Selected sites are pet-friendly, so call ahead if you’re taking your pooch.

5. Nature’s Hideaway Middle Lagoon

Where: Middle Lagoon Road
Distance from Broome: Two hours
Price: $$

For some of the best views in the Kimberley, make a beeline for one of the unpowered campsites along the escarpment at Nature’s Hideaway Middle Lagoon on the Dampier Peninsula.

All sites are within easy reach of the beach, the small shop and washing facilities. For those who like four walls between themselves and nature, there are cabins with ensuite bathrooms. You’ll need a 4WD to reach Middle Lagoon, as the road can be very sandy and corrugated in places.

6. Banana Well Getaway

an aerial view of a caravan at Banana Well Getaway, Broome — Set up camp by the beach at Banana Well Getaway. (Image: Taryn Yeates)

Where: Cape Leveque Road
Distance from Broome: Two hours
Price: $$

Home to pelicans, brolgas, egrets and ibis to name a few, this idyllic location is perfect for fishing and crabbing. Powered and unpowered sites for caravans and campers are available, as well as a range of air-conditioned cabins and three- and four-bedroom houses in tranquil bush settings.

Other facilities at Banana Well Getaway include a small pool, barbeques, fire pits, hot showers and a shop with cold drinks, block ice and fishing bait. Round off your stay with a stop at the nearby community of Beagle Bay, home to the beautiful Sacred Heart Church with its mother-of-pearl shell altar.

7. Lombadina Aboriginal Corporation

Stay is a rustic cabin at Lombadina Aboriginal Corporation. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Where: Cape Leveque Road
Distance from Broome: Two hours and 30 minutes
Price: $

The seaside Aboriginal community of Lombadina welcomes visitors with accommodation, tours, a bakery (fresh bread three days a week) and a historic bush church constructed from corrugated iron.

The bush-style campsites have shared ablutions, laundry and a barbecue area. Nestled amongst the coconut trees, you’ll find several self-contained cabins that sleep up to five adventurers.

8. Pender Bay Escape

Where: Two Moons Road, Dampier Peninsula
Distance from Broome: Two hours and 30 minutes
Price: $

Your idyllic days at the remote Pender Bay Escape campsite will be spent fishing, watching whales in the bay, cooling down in the clear water, spotting hermit crabs, and sitting around the campfire.

Campsite C2 is the jewel in the crown, boasting twin outdoor bathtubs with grand ocean views. This hideaway boasts hot showers and toilets – but be warned, they are a fair walk from some sites so best to check the distance to the loo when booking.

9. Gnylmarung Retreat

foldable camping chairs at Gnylmarung Retreat — Take in breathtaking ocean views at Gnylmarung Retreat.

Where: Middle Lagoon Road, Dampier Peninsula
Distance from Broome: Two hours
Price: $$

Sticking with the coastal theme, Gnylmarung is where you’ll want to shack up if fishing and diving are your jam.

Run by Alphonse and Delmar in a very low-key fashion, you can take your pick from 35 sites, some with ocean views and others in secluded bushland, with access to solar-powered showers.

The campsite might be basic, but the view over the beach is luxe, especially when it’s peppered with dolphins and whales.

10. Gambanan Wilderness Retreat

Where: Just before One Arm Point community, Dampier Peninsula
Distance from Broome: Two hours and 30 minutes
Price: $

Get your camera ready, the scenery around Gambanan Wilderness Retreat will take your breath away. Located on the Dampier Peninsula just before One Arm Point community, the elevated bush camp overlooks the Jawi Islands. Wake up to a chorus of birdsong and chill out each evening with a campfire.

Facilities include showers, flushing toilets, a shared outdoor kitchen and campfires. For folks who like a bit more luxury, there are safari tents with private barbecues and bush showers.

11. Djarindjin Campground

Where: Cape Leveque Road, Dampier Peninsula
Distance from Broome: Two hours and 15 minutes
Price: $

Also located on the striking red dirt of the Dampier Peninsula, Djarindjin Campground caters to large RVs and caravans on its 37 powered sites and 10 unpowered sites, thanks to extra-wide drive-thru sites and modern facilities. Find a range of amenities to make your stay more comfortable, like hot showers, a large camp kitchen with gas BBQs, a sheltered BBQ area and a communal fire pit.

Ready to book your trip to Broome? Check out our ultimate guide to Broome for incredible Airbnbs, top hotels and more.

This remote corner of Australia is one of the world’s last frontiers. This is how to see it properly.

Vast, rugged and deeply spiritual, the Kimberley coast in Australia’s North West feels a world away from everyday Australia – and there are countless ways to explore it. But if you want to reach ancient rock art, hidden gorges and lonely waterfalls, it has to be by boat. Whether you’re aboard a nimble expedition vessel or a luxury yacht with all the trimmings, exploring by the water brings exclusive experiences, shows unique views and makes travel easier than any other mode. And that’s just the beginning of Australia’s North West cruises.

The True North Adventure Cruise in between sandstone cliffs. — Adventure starts where the road ends.

1. Discover Broome, and beyond

Explore your launchpad before you set sail: Broome. Here camels and their riders stride along the 22 kilometres of powdery Cable Beach at sunset. That’s just the start.

At Gantheaume Point, red pindan cliffs plunge into the turquoise sea, whose low tide uncovers fossilised dinosaur footprints. Broome’s pearling history runs deep. Japanese, Chinese, Malay and Aboriginal divers once worked these waters, and their legacy lives on in boutiques where South Sea pearls still shine.

If the moon’s right, you may catch the Staircase to the Moon over Roebuck Bay. Or simply kick back with a cold beverage and a film under the stars at Sun Pictures , screening since 1916.

Ride a camel along Cable Beach as the sun sinks into the Indian Ocean, casting golden light across the sand and sea. — Ride a camel along Cable Beach. (Image: Nick Dunn)

2. Unmatched access to The Kimberley

Once you’re onboard, expect a backstage pass to some of the most isolated places on Earth. No roads. No ports. No phone reception.

At Horizontal Falls/ Garaanngaddim, 10-metre tides surge through twin gorges like a natural waterpark ride that’ll make your palms sweat. Then there’s Montgomery Reef/ Yowjab: a giant living platform of coral and seagrass, where the sea pulls back to reveal waterfalls, sea turtles and ospreys.

Up north, King George Falls/ Oomari rage 80 metres down red cliffs. Zodiac boats often nudge in closer so you can feel the spray on your sun-warmed cheeks. You might even fly in to reach Mitchell Falls/ Punamii-unpuu, a four-tiered cascade where you can swim in freshwater pools above the drop.

Come spring, some itineraries veer west to Rowley Shoals: an atoll chain of white sand and reef walls. Then it’s up the winding Prince Regent River to King Cascade/ Maamboolbadda, tumbling over rock terraces, and into a Zodiac to view the Gwion Gwion rock art, whose slender, ochre-painted figures are older than the pyramids.

A cruise drifts beneath King George Falls, where sheer sandstone cliffs frame the thunderous plunge into turquoise waters. — Get closer to the Kimberley than ever before.

3. Taste the Kimberley with onboard hospitality

You might spend your days clambering over slippery rocks or charging past waterfalls. But when you’re back on the water, it’s a different story. Meals are chef-prepared and regionally inspired: grilled barramundi, pearl meat sashimi, mango tarts, and bush tomato chutney. One night it’s barefoot beach barbecues with your shipmates; the next, alfresco dining on the ship.

Small expedition ships each have their own personality, but many carry just 12 to 36 guests, making being out on the water a whole other experience. You might sink into a spa on the foredeck or sip coffee in a lounge while watching crocodiles cruise by. It’s choose-your-own-relaxation, Kimberley style.

4. Expert-led excursions through the Kimberley

These voyages are led by people who know the Kimberley like the back of their sunburnt hand. Attenborough-esque naturalists might gently tap your shoulder to point out rare birds or tell the story beneath a slab of rock. Historians can explain exactly how that rusted World War II relic came to rest here.

If your ship has a helipad, you might chopper straight to a waterfall-fed swimming hole. If not, you’ll still be hopping ashore for that wet landing at a secret creek.

Then come the evenings: songlines shared by Traditional Owners under the stars, or astronomy sessions that link what’s overhead with what’s underfoot and what’s within.

A small group glides through Kimberley’s rugged coastline by boat, passing ancient cliffs. — Explore with naturalists and historians by your side.

5. Relax in luxurious lodgings

Just because you’re off-grid doesn’t mean you have to rough it. These Kimberley vessels are small in size, but mighty in luxury. True North’s ships come with their own helicopters and a no-sea-days policy, so you’re always in the thick of it. Try the luxurious offerings from Ocean Dream Charters for exploration in style. Kimberley Quest offers a fast boat for easy, off-ship adventures. On the larger end of the scale, Coral Expeditions has open-deck bars and curated wine cellars. And then there’s Ponant’s luxury yachts – sleek and incredibly stylish French sailing yachts.

A helicopter soars above the sea, with a sleek cruise ship gliding in the distance. — See the Kimberley from sky to shore.

6. The adventure continues with pre- and post-cruise experiences

You’ve already come this far – so, why not go further? Broome makes it easy to ease in before you board, or wind down when your voyage ends, and there is no reason to stop there.

Head an hour and a half south to Eco Beach to stay off-grid and off the clock. Join a Yawuru guide for a mangrove walk or ocean forage. Dive even deeper into Broome’s pearling past at Willie Creek or Cygnet Bay, where divers and craftspeople still pull the seawater-slicked gems from the deep.

If you’re still craving adventure, it’s time to go further. Soar over the Buccaneer Archipelago, or detour inland with a 4WD trip along the Gibb River Road. Book a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles. Or – because you never know when you’ll be back – do all three.

aerial of people walking on eco beach in the kimberley western australia — Stay off grid at Eco Beach. (Image: Tourism WA)

Find out more about your trip to Australia’s North West at australiasnorthwest.com .

11 beautiful Broome camping spots to know about